796 Awalau Road: Contemporary Off-Grid Art Farm in Haiku, Maui

Posted by Mapuana Andrade on Tuesday, May 3rd, 2022 at 5:12pm

When we think about living "off-the-grid," we might envision an unruly person stashed away in an RV or tent, hunting and foraging their supplies. We doubt any of us would picture anything remotely close to "luxury" or "comfortable" when we think about this type of lifestyle. Some may consider off-grid living a rugged lifestyle; however, the property at 796 Awalau Road will undoubtedly change that opinion. 

The property spans over 16 acres and features never-ending ocean vistas, grassy knolls with grazing horses, breathtaking views of Haleakala, the Milky Way with minimum if any, light pollution, and stunning views of Haleakala.

"The sellers bought the raw land from Linda years ago. One of the sellers is an architect and essentially created the home as a passion project," said Maeghan Pocock, real estate agent of Island Sotheby's International Realty. 

This home was built with the premise that off-grid living can be just as lavish and full of luxuries as everyday living, and it has delivered on that promise privately and sustainably! The "art farm," located on a private road in Haiku at around 2000 feet elevation, is powered by a 48-panel solar array, a propane-fueled backup generator, and eight batteries.

"We felt it was important that the Art Farm be a self-sustainable place, not tied to the traditional grid, while maintaining the creature comforts of the twenty-first century. We believe the transition to a sustainable way of life is essential and could be seamless, and we believe we have accomplished that with this project.

Float Off-Grid Art Farm was created in 2018; we began construction in October of that year. Based loosely on the concept of Black Mountain College in North Carolina, the Art Farm is a place for artists and craftsmen to come together and create in an environment conducive to broadening one's creativity, surrounded by nature at its finest."

The structures on this property were designed with great care to reduce the "footprint" through energy efficiency, site layout, and the optimization of water collection for the catchment system.

The main house was planned and built by the owner, who was guided by three principles: form/function, passive conditioning to improve the internal living environment naturally, and lastly, to frame the most magnificent vistas. A privately tucked away lofted cottage, a Quonset hut steel building workshop/barn with a 110-inch projection home theater and 4-car carport, a fully equipped wellness studio with infrared sauna, and a 40' container swimming pool with a large plexiglass panel, providing views into the pool from the adjacent outdoor kitchen/entertaining space are among the other structures on the property.

"For the barn, we chose a Quonset hut structure, inspired by its historical impact on the island. There are many these building types leftover from the once-thriving pineapple business and the military. The Quonset hut design is an extremely durable, efficient, and effective way to enclose space with no interior structure required. Adjacent to the barn is a four-space carport that serves as the main structure for the 30-panel solar array, the solar control center, and the electric car charging station. The "butterfly" shape of the roof optimizes solar energy and water collection for the catchment system.

Tucked along the edge of the heavily wooded part of the property, the "nohana" was designed to optimize space on a small footprint and capture the views of the ocean. The shed roof design allows for a vaulted ceiling and sleeping loft. The wellness studio is constructed to be the little brother to the other structures on the property. The entire North wall is a large glass panel garage door. The outdoor kitchen is set on the slope of the land and covered by a large curved roof, similar to the Quonset design. Placing the kitchen on the slope allows the roof to be lower and creates more protection during rainy days. The roof is covered with an additional 18 solar panels. The outdoor kitchen has a built-in grill, a cooktop, sink, and a large fire pit that serves as an open flame cooking space."

This one-of-a-kind property is the opportunity of a lifetime to live the Maui lifestyle in an eco-conscious, self-sustainable private retreat. 

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